Sign



S. A. RICH Aug. 25, 1936.

SIGN

, Filed July 16, 1954 I INVENTOR. Jamue) A. Rich C/WZM' A TTORNE Y.

Patented Aug. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIGN Samuel A. Rich, Wichita, Kans., assignor of five per cent to W. S. Leu

This invention relates to improvements in signs. The object of this invention is to provide a sign that is conspicuous in the day time and one which will reflect light at night to display the sign. A still further object is to provide a sign of the kind mentioned which is cheap and easy to construct. A still further object is to provide a sign of the kind mentioned which is substantial and the luminous portions thereof may be easily replaced, should one become broken. These and other objects will be more fully explained as this description progresses.

Referring to the drawing in which the same characters of reference refer to the same parts throughout the several figures, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved sign. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of a portion of my improved sign, parts being broken away for convenience of illustration. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view through a portion of the'sign.

The sign is constructed of a base member II], and a sheet metal face element I I, in which is cut a stencil I2 of the letters or indicia to be displayed. Between the face plate II and the base element III are glass plates I3 having a rough or irregular shaped face and the back thereof is provided with a silver coating to reflect light. The object of the rough or irregular shape of the glass I 3 is that light rays entering and leaving the glass will be refracted or bent at numerous angles, thereby increasing the scope of the visibility of the sign. The glass plates I3 are so positioned as to cover the opening of the stencil. At I4 are housing elements that are the same thickness as the glass I3, said housing elements being permanently attached to the base element III, with the glass plates I3 fitted therein, so that the surfaces of the glass plates and the housing elements I4 are flush, and the sheet metal face II which is placed thereover is rigidly held thereto by means of screws I5 which are passed through the metal face II and into the housing I4 and base element Ill.

At I6 are shown posts, for the support of the sign and between which are shown cap elements I! and I8 which close the top and bottom edges of the several members of the sign, as a weather protection for the sign. While the glass plates I3 are described as being held in the housing elements I4, it will be understood that the plates I3 may be cemented to the base element II] and the joints between the several plates I3 and between the plates I3 and the housing I4 may be filled 5 with cement to make a water tight assembly so as to prevent water from rain or snow from seeping in between the plates I 3 and the base element I0, so as to prevent the rotting of the wood Ill or the freezing of the water between the base Ill and 10 the glass plates I3 so that the plates I3 would be broken.

As previously described, the backs of the plates I3 are silver coated for the purpose of reflecting light. However it will be understood that a layer 15 of tinfoil I9 or other light reflecting material may be placed between the plates I3 and the base element I0, said light reflecting element at least covering the area exposed by the opening in the above mentioned. 0

Such modifications may be employed as lie Within the scope of the appended claims. Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 25

1. A sign having a face plate with indicia stenciled therein, a base element and housing elements and light reflecting elements, said housing elements being rigidly attached to said base element, and said light reflecting elements being positioned in said housings, said face element being positioned over said housing and reflecting elements, so that said light reflecting elements cover the area of said indicia.

2. In a sign as described in claim 1, means for rigidly attaching said face plate to said housing elements and base element.

3. In a sign as described in claim 1, said light reflecting elements being cemented to said base element and the joints between said light reflecting elements and between said light reflecting elements and said housing elements being filled with cement to form a composite water proof structure.

4. In a sign as described in claim 1, means for supporting said sign and means for closing the edges of said sign, as a weather protection.

SAMUEL A. RICH. 

